The Mosaics of Frederic Lecut. Technical, Artistic and Historical facts, lies and stories about past and present day mosaics.

Monday, April 14, 2014

Fall Foliage

I made Fall Foliage for a friend of mine who asked me last Fall if I could do something to hide the wall behind her kitchen stove.

Becky's house is nice and spacious, it shelters beautiful ancient furniture and is built around a luminous octagonal living room decorated with beautiful art. Becky also has a passion for gardening. She loves to spend time out in her yard enjoying her plants and trees.

First we had to find the best design fitting her kitchen and tastes. Becky expressed her wish to have something inside the house reminding her of her garden outside. I proposed her different designs :

Green Jungle

Golden leaf

Red Maple

To help her better visualize the final result I created images of what the mosaic would look in her kitchen.

Finally, I came up with an example of a richly coloured pattern of fall foliages, and we decided for that one.

This was mid November 2013, and I could get in gear.

Because the wall receiving the mosaic is made of sheetrock and part of the piece would be behind the stove, we needed a very thin piece. This way the stove would stay flush with the kitchen countertop.

I decided that I would use glass only, and build the mosaic directly on top of a fiberglass mesh. This mesh would then be directly glued on the wall once the piece complete.

First came the black and white drawing of the piece at the actual dimensions on heavy white paper.

Black and White Sketch - December 5, 2013

I added some colours to make all contours more visible.

Contoured sketch, December 5, 2013.

Once this model laminated, I could actually start to actually build the mosaic.

Right before Christmas, I laid a layer of Fiberglass mesh on top of the model and started to glue some red glass tiles onto it.

December 22, 2013

And I flew back to France to deliver an other commissioned mosaic...

Ubi to Gaius Mosaic (2013)

... and spend the holidays with family and friends.

Back in Alabama I resumed the work in January, adding several colours to the work, Beginning with the leaves.

Fall Foliage, January 12, 2013

I used various shades stained glasses and mirrors.

Fall Foliage, January 13, 2013.

Some of these materials came from the USA, others from France and Italy.

On February 9, all leaves had been laid.

Fall Foliage, February 9, 2014.

And I started to work on the branches and contours of the leaves.

Fall Foliage, February 15, 2014.

Finally, by the end of February, all glass tiles had been glued to the mesh and I was able to separate the mesh from the model.

Fall Foliage would finally get out of the workshop to see the sun !

Fall Foliage, March 2, 2014

You can judge by yourself how the nature of the light totally change the way a mosaic looks !

Fall Foliage, March 2, 2014.

It was now time to install the piece on site.

I first glued the piece to the wall and completed the tile work on both sides of the stove.

Fall Foliage, March 15, 2014.

We let the glue set for 2 weeks before the first application of a black unsanded grout.

Grouting - a dirty business...

Fall Foliage, March 30, 2014

When I use different colours grout on a same piece, I like to begin with the darker one. I apply each colour on a different day and waterproof each colour grout before I apply the next one.

I grouted the white tiles on April 3rd, and completed the waterproofing on April 5.

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About the Artist, February 2014

"The meaning of Life is to find your gift - The purpose of Life is to give it away".

My Art is about inspiring people to make the world a better place. Creativity is much more an attitude than a know how.

When Francois Rabelais wrote : “Science sans conscience n'est que ruine de l'ame”, he meant that Science without awareness of the possible adverse effects of its application is the ruin of one's soul. This is also true of art and creation for its own sakes is a waste of one's energy.

An artist's work should be fed by 2 complementary currents:

An aesthetic and creative flow by which the artist actually creates. In this act of creation, the artist actually allows something bigger than him to be expressed through him.

A spiritual, religious or social one, through which the artist harnesses this creative current to serve the community that supports him.

My work is mostly inspired by the Arts of Classical Rome and European Renaissance. Zen Buddhism and the concept of “Do” omnipresent in Oriental cultures are the spiritual counterpart to these aesthetic influences.

I create to share my passions and bring people to realize they have in them what it takes to be creative in all domains. If you have the attitude, you will acquire the know-how. After years of experimentation and work with great masters, I want to share what I have learned and researched to inspire others to give the best of themselves.